INTERNATIONAL

STANDARD

IEC
60364-1
Fourth edition
2001-08

Electrical installations of buildings

Part 1:
Fundamental principles, assessment
of general characteristics, definitions

This English-language version is derived from the original

bilingual publication by leaving out all French-language
pages. Missing page numbers correspond to the Frenchlanguage pages.

Reference number
IEC 60364-1:2001(E)

INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD

IEC
60364-1
Fourth edition
2001-08

Electrical installations of buildings

Part 1:
Fundamental principles, assessment
of general characteristics, definitions

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60364-1 IEC:2001

CONTENTS

FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................... 7
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 11
11

Scope ....................................................................................................................... 13

12

(3.2)

13

Fundamental principles............................................................................................. 17

131

Protection for safety ................................................................................................. 17

132

133

134

Normative references ..................................................................................... 15

131.1

General ....................................................................................................... 17

131.2

Protection against electric shock ................................................................. 17

131.3

Protection against thermal effects ............................................................... 19

131.4

Protection against overcurrent..................................................................... 19

131.5

Protection against fault currents .................................................................. 19

131.6

Protection against overvoltage .................................................................... 19

Design ...................................................................................................................... 21
132.1

General ....................................................................................................... 21

132.2

Characteristics of available supply or supplies ............................................ 21

132.3

Nature of demand........................................................................................ 21

132.4

Emergency supply or supplies ..................................................................... 23

132.5

Environmental conditions ............................................................................ 23

132.6

Cross-section of conductors ........................................................................ 23

132.7

Type of wiring and methods of installation ................................................... 23

132.8

Protective equipment................................................................................... 23

132.9

Emergency control ...................................................................................... 23

132.10

Disconnecting devices ................................................................................. 25

132.11

Prevention of mutual influence .................................................................... 25

132.12

Accessibility of electrical equipment ............................................................ 25

Selection of electrical equipment .............................................................................. 25

133.1

General ....................................................................................................... 25

133.2

Characteristics ............................................................................................ 25

133.3

Conditions of installation

133.4

Prevention of harmful effects ....................................................................... 27

Erection and initial verification of electrical installations............................................ 27

134.1

Erection....................................................................................................... 27

134.2

Initial verification ......................................................................................... 27

30

Assessment of general characteristics (IEC 60364-3) ............................................... 29

31

Purposes, supplies and structure.............................................................................. 29

311

Maximum demand and diversity................................................................................ 29

60364-1 IEC:2001
312

313

Types of distribution system ..................................................................................... 29

312.1

Types of system of live conductors .............................................................. 29

312.2

Types of system earthing ............................................................................ 29

Supplies ................................................................................................................... 45
313.1

General ....................................................................................................... 45

313.2

Supplies for safety services and standby systems ....................................... 47

314

Division of installation............................................................................................... 47

33

Compatibility............................................................................................................. 47
33.1

Compatibility of characteristics .................................................................... 45

33.2

Electromagnetic compatibility ...................................................................... 45

34

Maintainability .......................................................................................................... 49

35

Safety services ......................................................................................................... 49

351

General .................................................................................................................... 49

Annex A (informative) Numbering system and plan of IEC 60364 ........................................ 51

Annex B (informative) Definitions Guide to general terms ................................................. 57
Annex C (informative) IEC 60364 Parts 1 to 6: Restructuring............................................ 63
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 71
Figure 31A TN-S system ................................................................................................... 31
Figure 31B TN-C-S system Neutral and protective functions combined in
a single conductor in a part of the system ............................................................................ 31
Figure 31C TN-C system Neutral and protective functions combined in
a single conductor throughout the system ............................................................................ 33
Figure 31D TT system ....................................................................................................... 33
Figure 31E IT system ........................................................................................................ 35
Figure 31F TN-S d.c. system ............................................................................................. 37
Figure 31G TN-C d.c. system ............................................................................................ 39
Figure 31H TN-C-S d.c. system ......................................................................................... 41
Figure 31J TT d.c. system ................................................................................................. 43
Figure 31K IT d.c. system.................................................................................................. 45
Figure B.1 (21a) Zone of arms reach ................................................................................ 59
Table A.1 Numbering system of IEC 60364 ....................................................................... 51
Table A.2 Plan of IEC 60364: Electrical installations of buildings ....................................... 53
Table C.1 Relationship between restructured and original parts......................................... 63
Table C.2 Relationship between new and old clause numbering ........................................ 67

60364-1 IEC:2001

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS OF BUILDINGS
Part 1: Fundamental principles, assessment
of general characteristics, definitions
FOREWORD
1) The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of the IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, the IEC publishes International Standards. Their preparation is
entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may
participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. The IEC collaborates closely with the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the
two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of the IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
from all interested National Committees.
3) The documents produced have the form of recommendations for international use and are published in the form
of standards, technical specifications, technical reports or guides and they are accepted by the National
Committees in that sense.
4) In order to promote international unification, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC International
Standards transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional standards. Any
divergence between the IEC Standard and the corresponding national or regional standard shall be clearly
indicated in the latter.
5) The IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with one of its standards.
6) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject
of patent rights. The IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

International Standard IEC 60364-1 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 64:
Electrical installations and protection against electric shock.
The IEC 60364 series (parts 1 to 6), is currently being restructured, without any technical
changes, into a more simple form (see annex C).
According to a unanimous decision by the Committee of Action (CA/1720/RV (2000-03-21)),
the restructured parts of IEC 60364 have not been submitted to National Committees for
approval.
The text of this fourth edition of IEC 60364-1 is compiled from and replaces

part 1, third edition (1992),

part 2-21, first edition (1993), and
part 3, second edition (1993) and its amendments 1 and 2 (1994 and 1995, respectively).

This publication has been drafted, as close as possible, in accordance with the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
Annexes A, B and C are for information only.

60364-1 IEC:2001

The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged
until 2003. At this date, the publication will be

reconfirmed;
withdrawn;
replaced by a revised edition, or
amended.

60364-1 IEC:2001

11

INTRODUCTION

This part of IEC 60364 contains the rules for the design and erection of electrical installations
so as to provide safety and proper functioning for the use intended.
Clause 13 states the fundamental principles. It does not include detailed technical
requirements which may be subject to modifications on account of technical developments.
Parts 1 to 7 of IEC 60364 deal with technical requirements, the observance of which is
intended to ensure that electrical installations conform to the fundamental principles of
clause 13.

60364-1 IEC:2001

13

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS OF BUILDINGS

Part 1: Fundamental principles, assessment of
general characteristics, definitions

11

Scope 1

11.1

This part of IEC 60364 applies to electrical installations such as those of:

a) residential premises;
b) commercial premises;
c) public premises;
d) industrial premises;
e) agricultural and horticultural premises;
f)

prefabricated buildings;

g) caravans, caravan sites and similar sites;

h) construction sites, exhibitions, fairs and other temporary installations;
i)

marinas and pleasure craft.

11.2

It covers:

a) circuits supplied at nominal voltages up to and including 1 000 V a.c. or 1 500 V d.c.;
For a.c., the preferred frequencies which are taken into account in this standard are
50 Hz, 60 Hz and 400 Hz. The use of other frequencies for special purposes is not
excluded.
b) circuits, other than the internal wiring of apparatus, operating at voltages exceeding 1 000 V
and derived from an installation having a voltage not exceeding 1 000 V a.c., e.g.
discharge lighting, electrostatic precipitators;
c) any wiring systems and cables not specifically covered by the standards for appliances;
d) all consumer installations external to buildings;
e) fixed wiring for telecommunications, signalling, control and the like (excluding internal
wiring of apparatus);
f)

the extension or alteration of the installation and also parts of the existing installation
affected by the extension or alteration.

11.3

The standard does not apply to

a) electric traction equipment;

b) electrical equipment of motor vehicles;
c) electrical installations on board ships;
d) electrical installations in aircraft;
e) public street-lightning installations;
f)

installations in mines;

________
1 The numbering system is explained in annex A.

60364-1 IEC:2001

15

g) radio interference suppression equipment, except so far as it affects safety of the

installation;
h) electric fences;
i)

lightning protection of buildings.

NOTE Atmospheric phenomena are covered, however, in so far as effects on the electrical installations are
concerned (e.g. with respect to selection of lightning arresters).

11.4

This standard is not intended to apply to:

systems for distribution of energy to the public, or

power generation and transmission for such systems.

NOTE

Countries wishing to do so may, however, use this standard in whole or in part for that purpose.

11.5 Electrical equipment is dealt with only as far as its selection and application in the
installation are concerned.
This applies also to assemblies of electrical equipment complying with the relevant standards.
11.6 An assessment is made of the following characteristics of the installation in
accordance with the clauses indicated:

the purposes for which the installation is intended to be used, its general structure and its
supplies (clause 31);

the external influences to which it is to be exposed (IEC 60364-5-51);

the compatibility of its equipment (clause 33);

its maintainability (clause 34).

Those characteristics shall be taken into account in the choice of methods of protection for
safety (see IEC 60364-4-41 to IEC 60364-4-44) and the selection and erection of equipment
(see IEC 60364-5-51 to IEC 60364-5-55).
NOTE For telecommunications installations, account should be taken of any IEC standards as well as
publications of the ITU-T and the ITU-R relevant to the type of installation concerned.

12 (3.2) 2 Normative references

The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text,
constitute provisions of this part of IEC 60364. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to
agreements based on this part of IEC 60364 are encouraged to investigate the possibility of
applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated
references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of
IEC and ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
IEC 60050(826):1982, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary Chapter 826: Electrical
installations of buildings
IEC 60364-4-41:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 4-41: Protection for safety
Protection against electric shock
IEC 60364-4-42:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 4-42: Protection for safety
Protection against thermal effects

________
2 In this standard, references in brackets refer to the previous numbering system.

60364-1 IEC:2001

17

IEC 60364-4-43:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 4-43: Protection for safety
Protection against overcurrent
IEC 60364-4-44:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 4-44: Protection for safety
Protection against electromagnetic and voltages disturbances
IEC 60364-5-51:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 5-51: Selection and erection
of electrical equipment Common rules
IEC 60364-5-52:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 5-52: Selection and erection
of electrical equipment Wiring systems
IEC 60364-5-53:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 5-53: Selection and erection
of electrical equipment Isolation, switching and control
IEC 60364-5-54, Electrical installations of buildings Part 5-54: Selection and erection of
electrical equipment Earthing arrangements 3
IEC 60364-5-55:2001, Electrical installations of buildings Part 5-55: Selection and erection
of electrical equipment Other equipment
IEC 60446:1999, Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and
identification Identification of conductors by colours or numerals
IEC 60617-11:1996, Graphical symbols for
topographical installation plans and diagrams

diagrams

Part

11:

Architectural

and

IEC 60721 (all parts), Classification of environmental conditions

13 Fundamental principles
NOTE Where countries not yet having national regulations for electrical installations deem it necessary to
establish legal requirements for this purpose, it is recommended that such requirements be limited to fundamental
principles which are not subject to frequent modification on account of technical development. The contents of
clause 13 may be used as a basis for such legislation.

131 Protection for safety

131.1 General
The requirements stated in this subclause are intended to ensure the safety of persons,
livestock and property against dangers and damage which may arise in the reasonable use of
electrical installations.
NOTE In electrical installations, two major types of risk exist:

shock currents;

excessive temperatures likely to cause burns, fires and other injurious effects.

131.2 Protection against electric shock

131.2.1

Protection against direct contact

Persons and livestock shall be protected against dangers that may arise from contact with live
parts of the installation.

________
3 To be published.